Western Tailed-Blue
Cupido amyntula (Boisduval, 1852)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Polyommatinae
Identification: Narrow tail on hindwing. Upperside of male blue, female brown with blue at wing base. Underside white with black spots indistinct or lacking; single small orange spot near tail.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 1/8 inches (2.2 - 2.9 cm).
Life History: Males patrol and perch during the day. Females lay eggs on flowers or young seedpods of host plant. Caterpillars eat young seeds inside the pod, where they overwinter and pupate.
Flight: March-July. Several broods in southern California, a partial second brood in the southern Rocky Mountains, and one brood elsewhere.
Caterpillar Hosts: Legumes with inflated pods including false lupine (Thermopsis), milkvetch (Astragalus), crazyweed (Oxytropis), and vetches (Vicia and Lathyrus).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Open - usually native - areas with low shrubs including chaparral, meadows, and open woodland.
Range: Alaska south through western North America and all western mountains to northern Baja California, east across Canada's prairie provinces to northern Michigan, Ontario, and the Gaspé Peninsula.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
Alternate Scientific Names:
Everes amyntula
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 613 verified sightings
Observation date: May 12, 2019
Submitted by: Jdammarell
Region: Spokane County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 31, 2019
Observation date: Mar 15, 2019
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 19, 2019
Observation date: Mar 13, 2019
Submitted by: Luke Schwartzkopf
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 13, 2019
Observation date: Apr 01, 2019
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Apr 02, 2019
Observation date: Mar 24, 2019
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 25, 2019
Observation date: Jun 23, 2008
Submitted by: hydapse
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 12, 2019
Observation date: Jun 08, 2018
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Sheridan County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Dec 21, 2018
Observation date: May 17, 2018
Submitted by: Tim Shortell
Region: Gunnison County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: A_baldini
Verified date: Dec 18, 2018
Observation date: May 30, 2018
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Nov 24, 2018
Observation date: Jun 02, 2018
Submitted by: Ken Dies
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Nov 24, 2018
Observation date: Jun 09, 2018
Submitted by: Rick Sinnott
Region: Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Nov 24, 2018
Observation date: Jun 15, 2018
Submitted by: RobertWeeden
Region: Fairbanks North Star, Alaska, United States
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Nov 24, 2018
Observation date: Jun 25, 2018
Submitted by: JKlodzen
Region: North Slope, Alaska, United States
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Nov 24, 2018
Observation date: Jun 03, 2018
Submitted by: b.cn.u
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Nov 24, 2018
Observation date: Jun 09, 2018
Submitted by: b.cn.u
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Nov 24, 2018
Observation date: Jun 22, 2018
Submitted by: Doug Bruce
Region: Nome, Alaska, United States
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Nov 24, 2018
Observation date: Jun 24, 2018
Submitted by: Doug Bruce
Region: Nome, Alaska, United States
Verified by: Norbert Kondla
Verified date: Nov 24, 2018
Observation date: Aug 14, 2018
Submitted by: JulieLuetzelschwab
Region: San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 23, 2018
Observation date: Aug 09, 2018
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 17, 2018
Observation date: Jul 04, 2018
Submitted by: kmelville
Region: New Brunswick, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 02, 2018
Observation date: May 27, 2018
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 03, 2018
Observation date: Jun 27, 2018
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 28, 2018
Observation date: Jun 05, 2018
Submitted by: mbalame99
Region: Clatsop County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 27, 2018
Observation date: Jun 25, 2018
Submitted by: alyssa_d
Region: Deschutes County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 26, 2018
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